Shards of Glass
by Neko Kuroban
Summary: Hotaru Tomoe must confront her own darkness.


**Title:** Shards of Glass

**Author:** Neko Kuroban

**Author's e-mail:** K_hockey16@hotmail.com

**Chapter One of ?**

**Chapter Title:** Midnight

**Originally Posted**: 06/08/01

**Revised:** 05/02/03

**Warnings:** OOC, author's dislike of Chibi-Usa creeping in, dub names used, some Japanese honorifics and terms are used, and Kaori-bashing. 

**Author's Notes:** Yatta! Finally being revised!

**Shards of Glass**

**Chapter One:**

**Midnight**

**Neko Kuroban**

*******

I was on the front porch one Saturday evening, sitting on the steps, Rini beside me, talking happily. The beginning-of-spring breeze was crisp on my cheeks and I shivered slightly, even through my thick violet sweater. The sun was setting slowly, its dying rays casting the sky in an orange-pink glow. 

"I'm leaving with Sere and Darien tomorrow night so try to come see me during the day!" My ever-cheerful and light-hearted best friend told me. Perkily, of course. 

I resisted the urge to rub my temples as I began to feel a slight throbbing in my head, lest she think I was annoyed with her, and nodded, forcing a nod and a smile. "I'll try." I promised. 

"Bye!" she managed to call, before dashing off like a madwoman.

_'Doesn't she ever run out of energy?' _I mused, carefully standing up. In truth, I actually envied her, sometimes. 

She was always so carefree, so vibrant. 

I gave a rueful laugh as I made my way to my bedroom. 

She was the perfect combination of innocence, purity, and optimism. 

I could never be any of those three. 

Innocence?

Yeah, right. I often feel something yanking at my soul, and sometimes...

Sometimes I...

The soft lights of my bedroom flashed off a golden band on the floor. A ring that Rini always wore on a thin, delicate chain around her neck, amethyst, one that she often mentioned had been given to her by a 'treasured friend' that she had left behind when she came to Tokyo. I carefully picked it up and placed it on the edge of my desk, before removing my shoes. A moment later, I found myself laying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully. 

I wish I could call myself innocent.

Although, I had never told another living soul of this, sometimes I feel like there was something inside of me, telling me to fight, to destroy and enjoy it. To listen to the wind to check for a scream, a collapse of a building, a dripping of blood and to smile as there was none. To enjoy a job completed. 

Purity?

Ha. Though pure means untainted, and, physically, I am untouched - I have never even kissed a boy, which earned me a few odd stares from most of the girls at school, most of whom had already French-kissed - I often have the strangest feeling that I have blood on my hand.

As for optimism....there is only so much that a girl can take before the darkness settles in. 

I sighed softly, and rolled onto my stomach, eventually falling into a fitful slumber...

**_~~~_**

_Luscious, elegant and insanely perfect, the figure stood in an odd patch of light amidst the darkness, ridiculously long ebony hair whipping in the breeze around her. Her eyes were the color of blood, burning with an intense violent anger, and matching her full cherry lips that were pulled into a cruel, seductive smile as she whispered a profanity, and faced me. Her wine colored orbs were more than just a bit unnerving, like the sight of freshly spilt blood that adorned a steel blade, and I could only wish that they would fade to the dull, crimson-brown color of the long-dried life source._

_"Do you know what you could do?" Her tone is icy, her words biting into me._

_"N-no..."_

_"I will show you." _

**_~~~_**

_The body was limp on the hard-packed silvery-white surface, a scarlet pool staining the long, white gown a pink hue. I gasped, and broke into a sprint. Oh, God. Please don't let it be..._

_Golden hair spilt around the broken form's shoulders, a blade..._

_No, it...IT CAN'T BE!_

_My breath hitched in my throat as I knelt beside her._

_The blade was lodged in her stomach._

_I carefully turned the figure over, confirming my fears. _

_It was, of all people, Serena._

**_~~~_**

_"Do you see now?" The woman asked me inquisitively. _

_I pulled away suddenly, out of instinct and fright. Then I ran away as fast as I could...my bare feet making little noise against the - metal? - floor._

_Because that woman was me._

**~~~**

**…To Be Continued…**


End file.
